The Best Emergency Prep Kits for Keeping You and Your Family Ready
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Life insurance, smoke detectors, a prenuptial agreement, and an emergency preparedness kit: what do all of these things have in common? Right, they are all things you hope you’ll never have to rely on but that you’ll be glad you have if it hits the fan.
Given the unusual weather we’re seeing out west right now (i.e. Hurricane Hilary), the raging tornadoes in more central states, and the annually present threats of devastating wild fires, blizzards, earthquakes, and other natural disasters—which is not to mention civil unrest, but that can happen too—today, we’re going to focus on the emergency prep kits that cover it all. (For life insurance, talk to a certified agent. Smoke detectors you’d really better have already. And as for a prenup, only you can judge the true character of your S.O.).
Known as go bags, bugout bags, disaster kits, survival bags, or even as a PERK (Personal Emergency Relocation Kit), an emergency prep kit is simply a collection of the bare minimum supplies that you and those who count on you will need to stay safe for a few days even if you are without access to any other hardware or provisions.
To that end, what you need to have in an emergency kit includes water, food, basic first aid supplies, some sort of protection against the elements (think a mylar blanket or thick poncho), a source of lighting, a way to make fire, and some personal safety gear, like gloves and a mask. You’ll find basics like those in every go bag featured below.
What you won’t find are the specific items you and your dependents need, which may range from medicines to diapers to spare contact lenses and fluid to pet care supplies. It’s on you to customize your emergency prep kit as needed by thinking through your group’s needs. It’s also a good idea to tuck some cash, copies of important documents, a local map, spare keys, and perhaps even a small comfort item or two, especially if you have kids.
Again, only you know how to fully customize your go bag to be the best emergency prep kit for your household. But using these disaster preparedness bags as a base for your bugout bag is a smart move. (Oh, and make sure you keep it somewhere you can grab said bag in a hurry.)
Sustain Supply Premium Emergency Survival Kit
This is a pricey but genuinely premium go bag, and yes, it’s the one that’s literally under our desk as we type this article. Whether you pick the Comfort2 or Comfort4 bag, the former being equipped for two people, the latter for four, you can count on having every basic necessity met for 72 hours. These bags are packed with food, water, cooking and eating hardware, a water filter, fire-starting tools, lanterns and glowsticks, a knife, emergency whistles, lots of first aid supplies, and much more. And what’s more, all that gear is tucked into a hiking pack you can wear for hours on end as you trek toward safety.
Buy Sustain Supply Premium Emergency Survival Kit at Amazon, $300
Emergency Zone Family Prep 72-Hour Four Person Survival Kit
This go-bag from Emergency Zone has all the basics covered, like first aid and lighting and gloves and sanitation. What we like even more is that it comes with plenty of food and water. And even beyond that, we appreciate the inclusion of a few comfort items, like a deck of playing cards and a bar of hand soap, because even in an emergency situation, you will eventually get bored, and because hand sanitizer may technically clean your skin, but it doesn’t leave it feeling great.
Buy Emergency Zone Family Prep 72-Hour Four Person Survival Kit at Amazon, $200
EVERLIT Complete 72 Hours Earthquake Bug Out Bag
If you think there’s a chance you may face some seriously dangerous conditions, such as high winds throwing debris, ash, and hot cinders, or a deluge of rain and flooding, this is a good kit to consider. It comes with gear like safety goggles, rugged gloves, and a hand-cranked flashlight/radio combination, all of which can help you safely navigate your way through trying conditions as you connect with help.
Buy EVERLIT Complete 72 Hours Earthquake Bug Out Bag at Amazon, $null
Furaso Emergency Survival Kit
This compact survival kit does not include food and water, to be clear, so you will need to procure some shelf-stable rations separately and stash them with it. But what it does include is a lot of useful hardware, from a folding shovel to a compact hatchet/hammer multitool to a wire saw to cordage and more. If you think you may need to prepare and maintain a campsite when you bug out from a disaster, this is a good kit to have on hand.
Buy Furaso Emergency Survival Kit at Amazon, $54
Taiker Emergency Survival Kit
This is another kit that lacks food and water, but it’s got a few inclusions you don’t see in most other go bags that make it worth consideration. These include a multitool, which is just always handy, and a survival shelter, which can be set up to keep two people protected against rain and wind gusts. Add in the raincoat and space blanket that is also included, and you just may be able to keep warm and dry with this kit even in rough weather.
Buy Taiker Emergency Survival Kit at Amazon, $48
First Secure Car Emergency Safety Kit Bag
As the name suggests, this emergency kit is more about getting a vehicle working than it is about supplying human beings, but as your car is likely to be your ticket to safety, it needs to be kept functional, too. With jumper cables, a tire repair kit, a tow rope, an air compressor, and more, this kit just may help you get back on the road. And it does have a first aid kit, so if you tuck some food and water in the trunk with this pack, you and your vehicle will be well prepared.
Buy First Secure Car Emergency Safety Kit Bag at Amazon, $97
First My Family All-in-One 4 Person Emergency Prep Kit
This emergency prep kit is lighter on hardware, not having a hatchet or saw or shovel, but it’s heavy on the basics, packing in plenty of potable water and food and featuring a sizeable first aid kit, too. And with multiple ponchos, space blankets, and warming packs, it can keep you and your people fed and quasi-comfortable for multiple days.
Buy First My Family All-in-One 4 Person Emergency Prep Kit at Amazon, $200
MORE FROM SCOUTED:
How to Stock the Best Emergency Kits for Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Pandemics, and More
This Water Filter Is a Must-Have for Emergency Prep Kits, Camping Trips and Traveling
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